Racing at Meydan on Thursday was officially highlighted by The Graduate Stakes, a 1600m conditions contest, on turf, won seemingly fairly comfortably by Law Of Peace, confidently ridden by Tadhg O’Shea in the Naser Asker silks for Bhupat Seemar.

Restricted to horses sold at ERA Racing In Dubai Sales staged in September 2020, April 2021 and September 2021, the race attracted a field of eight but O'Shea always appeared confident, biding his time before driving him past First Winter entering the final 100m.

A 5yo gelded son of Shamardal, he was winning for the fourth time, all in the UAE and this was actually a second success in six days having won a 1600m dirt handicap at the Dubai World Cup Carnival just last Friday.

Victorious on both Meydan surfaces, he is also a winner on dirt at Jebel Ali and on the Abu Dhabi turf.

Seemar said: "He is such a talented horse but we opted for this easier option rather than a Super Saturday race as it was a good prize.
"I would imagine he will get a deserved break now but I will talk to the owner before confirming a definitive plan."

The trainer was soon celebrating a double, combining with apprentice Sean Kirrane to land the following 1900m dirt handicap with belated seasonal debutant Twelfthofneverland  for Dakki Stable.

O'Shea tried to make every post a winning one on stable companion Pitcher's Point , tracked by Kirrane who was only able to get past entering the final 100m and his mount just having enough left, on his first start for 327 days, to hold off Woodditton who snatched a closing second in the final 50m.

Kirrane said: "He broke well tonight so I was able to get in a good posse early on and I knew at the top of the straight I could catch Tadhg.
"When the other horse came to us my lad battled and, after such a long time off, it was a good win."

Seemar completed a productive evening when O'Shea partnered Zero To A Hundred to score readily in the concluding 1600m turf handicap for owners Miss Avni Kapoor, Charnesh Kapoor & Nirav Kapoor, completing a double for O'Shea and a treble for the trainer.

Adrie de Vries was at his coolest in the 1200m dirt handicap, content to await a gap on the rail before pushing Madkhal through it to win cosily in the colours of Fawzi Nass who also trains him.

Only six went to post with De Vries settling the 6yo gelded son of Distorted Humor in fourth, taking the shortest route throughout before launching his decisive move with about 300m remaining.

De Vries' mount was recording a fourth career success and third in the UAE under the Dutchman for present connections. He won once in Britian, for his breeders Godolphin, when trained by Saeed bin Suroor.

De Vries said: "He managed to unseat me behind the stalls which he often tries to do but luckily I managed hold onto him. He is a character but has plenty of ability and is talented for his grade."

For 3yos, the opening 1400m turf conditions contest provided Shadwell's Monaadah the perfect opportunity to make a winning debut under Jim Crowley for Saeed bin Suroor.

Always in the first four, Crowley asked his mount to quicken inside the final 400m and they hit the front with just over 300m remaining with the race soon in safekeeping.

A homebred son of Giant's Causeway, he could have hardly made a more promising belated start to his career and it will be interesting to see if he remains in the UAE or heads to Europe.

Crowley said: "The trainer said he liked him beforehand and he always travelled well for me so I was happy throughout. He will stay further as well."

Sultan Ali's Light Beam  was the beneficiary of a positive ride from Ray Dawson, the pair shooting clear with about 400m remaining in a turf maiden over 1800m and always in control thereafter for Ahmad bin Harmash.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, the 4yo Dubawi gelding was opening his account on his eighth racecourse appearance and sixth for current connections after two appearances in Britain for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby.

A 1400m dirt handicap was dominated by Rashed Bouresly and the Bouresly Racing Syndicate who supplied the 1-2, Davy Lamp probably never headed under Fernando Jara and chased home, at a respectable distance, by stablemate Tabarak.

The latter had raced in third under Richard Mullen before snatching second close home from Triple Venture with that trio the first three pretty much throughout the whole race.

Jara said: "We broke well so I was keen to take advantage of that from a fair draw and it all worked out perfectly."